Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services

Children's Mercy Critical Care Transport is the only 24-hour a day, seven day a week transport program in the region dedicated exclusively to neonates, children and adolescents. We also provide specialty transport for expectant mothers with our Maternal Fetal Transport Program.

Up to ten teams a day, ready to be dispatched

Up to ten teams a day are dispatched immediately from bases at Children's Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri and Children's Mercy Kansas in Overland Park, Kansas for neonatal and pediatric patients. Up to two neonatal critical care transport teams will have an additional maternal fetal transport nurse to accompany them and respond for expectant mothers requiring transport to a higher level of care. All transports teams respond by dedicated ground ambulance, rotor wing, turbo prop and jet airplanes.

The transport team has been designed to bridge the gap between Children's Mercy and other medical facilities. Directed by Children's Mercy neonatologists, pediatric intensivists and maternal fetal medicine physicians, the teams consist of advanced life support-trained critical care, respiratory therapists, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.

Our maternal fetal transport teams also include a nurse with extensive high risk obstetrical experience. Nearly 5,800 neonatal, pediatric and maternal fetal transports were completed last year, once again placing them amongst the busiest specialty teams in the country. CMCCT crews are prepared, skilled and confident in their ability to care for expectant mothers and critically ill children throughout the transport process.

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services

Children's Mercy Critical Care Transport's commitment to excellence in specialty transport care has earned the Neonatal/ Pediatric Transport Award of Excellence, Fixed Wing Award of Excellence, Critical Care Ground Award of Excellence and Transport Program of the Year, all awarded by the Association of Air Medical Services. The transport program is CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services)-accredited in all three modes of transport.

Ground ambulances are operated by Children's Mercy Kansas City.

Fixed-wing aircraft are operated by PHI Air Medical, Inc., a FAA Part 135 certificate holder.

Rotor-wing aircraft is operated by PHI Air Medical, Inc., a FAA Part 135 certificate holder, and in affiliation with LifeFlight Eagle.

Safety is the top priority for Children's Mercy Critical Care Transport

Safety awareness is integrated into all aspects of the transport program. Each day people entrust the transport teams with their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We believe we must always be worthy of that trust.

View the different modes of transportation Children's Mercy offers from ground to air.

Stories

Inside Pediatrics: Zei's Story

After a mysterious illness ravages Zei’s lungs and leaves her fighting for life, the critical care team re-invents its life support protocols to push the limits of medicine to give her a chance.

Critical Care Transport: Knox's Story

A rare rash and inconsolable crying triggered a St. Joseph, Mo., mom to take her infant to the pediatrician; and then to Children’s Mercy via ground ambulance. Immediate treatment for scalded skin syndrome meant a brief hospital stay for Knox, who is heathy today.

Critical Care Transport: Matthew's Story

Following the birth of their son, Matthew, first-time parents Natalie and Phillip Meznar noticed something was seriously wrong. Suffering from breathing issues, the Neonatal Transport Team at Children's Mercy quickly transported Matthew to the hospital for care, where he was diagnosed with a rare condition called pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, or PAVM.

Critical Care Transport: Paizlee's Story

Six-year-old Paizlee received an injury to the head from a game of baseball that caused her brain to swell. Rushing against time, the Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport team arrived to bring Paizlee to the hospital in time for the care she needed.

Critical Care Transport: Parker's Story

Born six and one-half years ago at only 23 weeks, 5 days of gestation, and weighing l pound, 12 ounces, Parker McElroy’s mother, Kylie, said he is alive today thanks to the Children’s Mercy Neonatal Transport team.

Nurses and respiratory therapists have a minimum of three years of experience in pediatric/neonatal critical care or high risk obstetrics before joining our team and receive extensive training in disease and injury pathophysiology as well as pharmacology during our extensive orientation

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians receive a minimum of 400 hours of training in pediatric specialty care and the transport process.

Our 24/7 dispatch center features certified flight communication specialists (minimum emergency medical technicians or paramedics) to dispatch the appropriate mode of transport within minutes of the request and are responsible for ground and flight following.

Our 24/7 Transfer Center features certified flight communication specialists to dispatch the appropriate mode of transport within minutes of the request and are responsible for ground and flight following.